Third Place Finish for Matt McGillivray in Quiksilver Pro Casablanca

South Africa’s Matt McGillivray finished equal third in the Quiksilver Pro Casablanca in Morocco, a World Surf League (WSL) QS1,500 rated event that was co-sanctioned by the WSL Africa and WSL Europe regional offices.

McGillivray, 19, from Jeffreys Bay, advanced through four rounds of competition before being defeated in the semi-finals by eventual runner-up Nelson Cloarec (FRA), earning US R28,000 and 840 points that saw him jump 10 places up the QS leaderboard to No 85 in his rookie season as a full-time professional surfer.

Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay) and Shane Sykes (Salt Rock), the only other South African men in the Quiksilver Pro Casablanca, finished equal 17th and equal 49th respectively.

Emma Smith (Jeffreys Bay) was the only South African woman in the Roxy Pro Casablanca where she placed equal 17th overall.

The Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Casablanca were the final events on the WSL Africa regional tour and saw Beyrick de Vries (uMhlanga) and Faye Zoetmulder (Cape St Francis) crowned the 2016 WSL Africa Men’s and Women’s champions.

De Vries, currently the highest ranked South African on the WSL QS in 27th spot, won the Vans Pro Surf Classic at Lamberts Bay, placed third in the Cape Town Pro and fifth at the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong to accumulate 1,980 points, more than 500 ahead of runner-up Matt McGillivray.

Zoetmulder was the runner-up at the Cape Town Pro and fifth in the Ballito Women’s Pro presented by Billabong, earning a total of 1,170 points, just 50 more than second placed Nikita Robb (East London).